Florida: Home to a Diverse Population

After
World War II, many soldiers stayed in Florida and persuaded their friends
and family to come to the Sunshine State. The railroad was instrumental in
the development of cities. As the railroad expanded, so did Florida's cities.
The railroad began stretching southward, creating opportunities for further
growth in Florida.

People migrated to Florida
for a variety of reasons. Some came for health reasons because of the warmth
of the Florida climate. Others came to start new businesses or farms, escape
hardships, or to find religious freedom. People began pouring in from all
around the world.

Danish immigrants founded a town south of Fort Lauderdale that they named Dania. They lived as farmers and grew tomatoes. They shipped the tomatoes by railroad to the northern United States.

Japanese
immigrants established the town of Yamato where they grew pineapples. These
were also shipped by railroad to the northern United States.

Another group of people
that came to Florida were Greeks. Near the town of Tarpon Springs, natural
sponges were discovered growing in the Gulf of Mexico. The sponges could not
be gathered fast enough to meet the demand, so Greek divers were brought in
to help. These divers wore special diving suits that allowed them to walk
along the bottom of the sea. Because of this, they were able to work faster,
which increased the supply of sponges.

As Florida grew, so did the diversity of the population. Floridians now included ex-soldiers and their friends and families and the many people who had migrated to Florida from all over the world. The Danes, Japanese, and Greeks added variety to the richness of Florida culture.